When I was walking into this movie, I was incredibly excited. The first Holmes was a great movie, which I own on Blu-Ray, so I was almost convinced that this one would be good too. As I sat through the trailers, which included an epic Dark Knight Rises and awkward Battleship (really, a Battleship movie?), I was ready for an insanely fun spectacle. And that’s exactly what I got.

This movie is set in England in the late 1800’s. France and Germany are at each other’s throats, and a war is on the horizon. In the midst of this travesty, Sherlock Holmes (played by Robert Downey Jr. of Iron Man) is attempting to stop the evil Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) from, well; I won’t spoil it for you. With the help of his assistant Watson (Jude Law), they will stop the evil plans of Moriarty.

So, this movie has a lot to live up to, and it does very well, but there are some elements that don’t make much sense. Like how Holmes is practically a superhero who can predict every move his enemy will make? And how he can figure things out without any evidence or help? And how Holmes is somehow this incredible action star, though he is supposed to just be a detective? And why when Sherlock and Moriarty meet do neither one of them attempt to stop the other? Though these questions do enter your mind, the movie is good enough to allow you to except them. Though you will ask yourself questions about the logic of this movie, it’s too good to make you wonder for too long.

The action is stylish and swift, showing off Sherlock’s fist fighting skills and his witty fighting style. The gun fights were also exhilarating, though this was one of those movies where you know no one important is going to die. The plot was to-the-point but also creative, keeping you on your toes and wondering what Moriarty was planning next, and how Holmes planned to stop him. The special effects were good, and to the standards of 2011 (special effects NEED to be good by now), and the visuals were very good as well. The acting by Downey Jr. and Law was playful when they interacted with each other, and calculating when trying to solve serious problems. Harris played the devilish Moriarty especially well, keeping the watchers on their toes, and wondering how the character would react.

This movie was so good, but also had a lot to work up to. The stylish action, fun atmosphere, and thought provoking ending was great, and I recommend it to any fan of the first one. I give it 4.25 stars out of 5.